Chapter 6: My Stepmother's Second Face
Courtney had stolen my identity.
At least, that was what it looked like in the photograph Samantha placed in front of me.
The image showed my stepmother standing outside storage unit 314, holding a clipboard and speaking to the facility manager.
She wore a baseball cap pulled low over her face, but the rest was unmistakable: the cream-colored handbag, the gold bracelet, the pointed heels.
The same woman who had filmed me crying on the porch.
The same woman who had laughed when my water broke.
Now she had apparently entered a storage facility using documents claiming to be me.
"How did she get my identification?"" I asked.
Samantha studied the photograph.
"That's what we need to find out.""
"I haven't lost my driver's license.""
"Has anyone had access to your personal documents since Lucas died?""
I thought of the office.
The filing cabinet.
The folder my father had brought to the kitchen.
"The day Dad came over, he had copies of financial statements with my name and signature.""
"Did he have access to your wallet?""
"No.""
"Your office?""
I hesitated.
After Lucas's funeral, Charles had offered to help me organize the paperwork.
I had been too exhausted to do much more than point him toward the desk.
"He was in the office," I admitted.
"He said he was looking for insurance documents.""
Samantha's jaw tightened.
"Then he may have copied your identification or taken photographs of it.""
"Can he do that?""
"He can take a photograph of anything he can access. Using it to impersonate you is another matter.""
I looked again at the image.
"What was in storage 314?""
"We don't know what was there originally. Michael is contacting the facility now. If Courtney entered the unit, we need to establish whether she removed anything.""
"Call the police.""
"I intend to.""
I sat back against the pillow.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
My father had forged my signature.
Someone had altered my husband's insurance policy.
Now Courtney had apparently impersonated me to access a storage unit Lucas had kept secret.
How much of my life had these people entered without my knowledge?
Samantha placed a hand over mine.
"We're going to proceed carefully. I don't want you confronting Courtney or Charles until we understand what was taken.""
"I won't confront them.""
I paused.
"But I want to see every record Lucas left behind.""
"You will.""
"And I want to know why Courtney was there.""
Samantha nodded.
"That's the next question.""
By early afternoon, Michael had obtained the facility's access records.
He called Samantha while I listened on speaker.
"The unit was rented under Lucas's business account eleven months ago," he explained.
"He paid for it annually. The lease identifies him as the only authorized user.""
"Was the lock damaged?"" Samantha asked.
"No. The manager says the woman presented an authorization letter and a copy of Emily's driver's license. She claimed the unit was part of the estate and that she had permission to remove personal property.""
"Did he verify the letter?""
"He called the number listed on the form. Someone answered and confirmed the authorization.""
Samantha's expression sharpened.
"Who answered?""
"The person identified himself as an employee of the estate administrator.""
"There is no estate administrator authorized by the court," she said.
"And no one should have confirmed that request.""
"That's what I thought. The manager has preserved the video footage and the paperwork.""
"Good. Has anyone inspected the unit?""
"Not yet. The manager locked it again after Courtney left. He says there were boxes and a metal filing cabinet inside.""
I leaned toward the phone.
"Did she take anything?""
Michael paused.
"The video shows her leaving with a black document case. She also carried a small cardboard box.""
My heart hammered.
The shoebox.
"Was there anything else?"" I asked.
"She made two trips to her car. On the second trip, she carried a canvas bag.""
Samantha wrote something down.
"Michael, don't enter the unit without the proper authorization. I'll contact the facility and the police. We need to preserve the scene.""
"Understood.""
The call ended.
I stared at Samantha.
"That was Lucas's box.""
"Possibly.""
"And now Courtney has it.""
"We don't know that the box contained the documents we're looking for.""
"But you think it did.""
Samantha didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
I asked to be taken back to my daughter.
For an hour, I sat beside the incubator and watched the monitors rise and fall.
My little girl was stronger than the doctors had expected. Her breathing was improving, and the nurse said she might be able to leave the incubator soon.
I pressed a finger against the opening in the side of the incubator.
"Your daddy would be so proud of you," I whispered.
Her hand curled around my fingertip.
I smiled.
Then I noticed the white card beside her bed.
Someone had left a message.
For Emily and her little girl. Thinking of you both. —Courtney.
Beneath it sat a bouquet of pink roses.
I stared at the card.
The nurse noticed my expression.
"Your stepmother dropped those off this morning. She asked whether she could visit the baby, but we told her we'd need your permission.""
My skin went cold.
"What time was she here?""
"About nine.""
Nine.
The security footage from storage 314 showed Courtney arriving there shortly after ten.
She had come to the hospital first.
She had stood beside my daughter's incubator.
She had left flowers.
Then she had gone to the storage unit and taken whatever Lucas had hidden.
I picked up the card.
The handwriting was neat and delicate.
On the back, Courtney had added another sentence.
Family should forgive family.
I crumpled the card in my fist.
The nurse frowned.
"Are you all right?""
"No.""
I looked at the roses.
"Please remove those.""
"Of course.""
When Samantha returned, I told her what the nurse had said.
She immediately photographed the card before allowing anyone to discard it.
"This may be relevant," she said.
"Especially if Courtney had no legitimate reason to visit the hospital before accessing the storage unit.""
"She wanted to see my daughter.""
"Perhaps. Or she wanted to establish a reason for being near you.""
I looked at her.
"You think she was checking whether I'd found out about the unit?""
"Possibly.""
My phone buzzed.
A message from Courtney appeared.
*I hope you and the baby are doing well. Charles is devastated by how things turned out. We should talk like adults.*
I read it twice.
Then another message arrived.
*I have some of Lucas's personal belongings. I'd be happy to return them if you sign the estate authorization.*
I handed the phone to Samantha.
She read the messages and gave a humorless smile.
"Well, that answers one question.""
"Which one?""
"She knows the documents are valuable to you. And she's trying to trade them for your signature.""
I stared at the screen.
"She wants the house.""
"She wants something. We need to find out exactly what.""
I typed a response.
What belongings do you have?
Courtney replied almost immediately.
*A box of Lucas's documents. I don't want to upset you, but Charles says they contain evidence that Lucas owed a lot of money. If you sign the papers, we can settle everything privately.*
Samantha shook her head.
"Don't agree to anything.""
I typed again.
Why did you use my identification to enter a storage unit?
The typing indicator appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then Courtney sent a single message.
*You should ask your father what happened to the original insurance documents.*
I looked at Samantha.
"She knows.""
"She knows something," Samantha corrected.
"That doesn't mean she knows everything.""
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered but said nothing.
A woman's voice came through the speaker.
"Emily Bennett?""
"Who's calling?""
"My name is Rachel Collins. I work for Northbridge Development Group.""
Samantha immediately motioned for me to put the call on speaker.
Rachel continued.
"I know this is an awful time to contact you, but I believe your husband was trying to protect you before he died.""
My pulse quickened.
"How do you know my husband?""
"He was hired to review our construction contracts. During that review, he discovered irregular payments involving one of our former consultants.""
"My father?""
There was a pause.
"Yes.""
Samantha leaned closer to the phone.
"Ms. Collins, this is Samantha Reed, counsel for Lucas Bennett's estate. What evidence do you have?""
"Financial records. Emails. A set of instructions approving transfers that should never have been authorized.""
"Who approved them?""
"Charles Bennett.""
I gripped the phone.
"Why are you calling me now?""
"Because yesterday, someone tried to access our archived files using credentials belonging to your husband. The request included a copy of his death certificate and an authorization letter supposedly signed by you.""
Samantha's eyes narrowed.
"Who submitted the request?""
"We have a name.""
"Tell us.""
Rachel hesitated.
Then she said, "Courtney Bennett.""
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Courtney had my identification.
She had accessed Lucas's storage unit.
She was trying to reach Northbridge's records.
But why?
Rachel continued.
"There's something else. Before he died, Lucas sent me a message saying that if anyone attempted to access the archived files after his death, I should contact you.""
My heart pounded.
"What did the message say?""
"He wrote, 'If Charles gets the records, Emily and the baby will be in danger.''"
The room seemed to shrink around me.
Samantha immediately began writing.
"Ms. Collins, do you still have the original message?""
"Yes.""
"Please preserve it. Don't forward it to anyone else until we arrange a secure transfer.""
"I will.""
Rachel's voice softened.
"Emily, I wish I had called sooner. I thought Lucas was exaggerating the danger. I didn't realize how far things had gone.""
I swallowed.
"Can you tell me what he found?""
"Not over the phone. I have copies of the records, but there's one document in particular I think you need to see. It's a signed agreement between Northbridge and a company controlled by your father.""
"What does it say?""
"It appears to show that your father was promised a large payment if he could secure control of the land beneath a development project.""
"What land?""
Rachel paused.
"Your house.""
I couldn't move.
Samantha slowly lowered her pen.
"Are you certain?"" she asked.
"The property description matches Emily's address. The agreement was signed two months before Lucas died.""
I stared at the wall.
My father hadn't come to the house because he believed Lucas had left debts.
He had come because someone wanted the property.
And he believed he could frighten his grieving daughter into handing it over.
Rachel continued.
"The agreement also includes a clause stating that the property must be transferred without an active dispute from the surviving spouse.""
Samantha looked at me.
"That explains the forged authorization.""
My mouth went dry.
"Why does Northbridge want our house?""
"Because the development project needs access to the land behind it," Rachel said.
"The original plans included a private road and a utility corridor. Your property sits directly across the only practical access point.""
Lucas had mentioned a development project once.
He'd said the neighborhood might change over the next few years, but he hadn't seemed concerned.
I had thought he was talking about new restaurants and apartment buildings.
I hadn't realized our house was standing between a corporation and a very expensive project.
"How much is the contract worth?"" I asked.
Rachel took a breath.
"The full development is valued at more than forty million dollars.""
I stared at the phone.
Forty million.
My father was willing to throw his pregnant daughter onto a porch for a piece of that money.
And Courtney was helping him.
Samantha ended the call after arranging a meeting with Rachel.
Then she turned toward me.
"Emily, we need to move quickly. If Courtney has Lucas's documents, she may try to destroy them before we can recover them.""
I looked at the message on my phone.
Family should forgive family.
I thought of my father standing over me.
I thought of Courtney laughing.
I thought of Lucas, kneeling in the nursery, promising our unborn daughter that he would always protect her.
Then I remembered the second message from the unknown number.
If you want your daughter to grow up, leave the drawer locked.
I showed it to Samantha again.
She studied it carefully.
"Whoever sent this knows about the evidence," she said.
"And they believe threatening you will make you stop.""
I shook my head.
"They don't understand.""
"What?""
I looked toward my daughter's incubator.
"I've already lost my husband. I almost lost my baby. They took my home and tried to steal everything Lucas left us.""
I wiped my eyes.
"They think there's nothing left to threaten me with.""
Samantha watched me quietly.
I picked up my phone and opened Courtney's messages.
Then I typed one final response.
You have until tomorrow morning to return everything that belongs to Lucas. After that, my attorney will handle it.
I pressed send.
For almost a minute, nothing happened.
Then my phone rang.
Courtney.
I answered.
Her voice was no longer sweet.
"You have absolutely no idea what you're doing," she said.
"Then explain it to me.""
"Charles is trying to protect you.""
"From whom?""
"From people who would destroy you if they knew what Lucas found.""
"Like you?""
She inhaled sharply.
"You ungrateful—"
"Tell me where the box is.""
"You don't understand what it contains.""
"Then tell me.""
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Because if you open that box, Emily, you'll discover that Lucas wasn't the only person who lied to you.""
I gripped the phone.
"What are you talking about?""
Courtney went silent.
Then, in the background, I heard a man's voice.
My father's voice.
"Who are you talking to?""
Courtney tried to end the call.
But before the line disconnected, I heard her say something that made every hair on my arms stand up.
"Charles, she knows about the second payment.""
May you like
And my father replied, in a voice so cold I barely recognized it:
"Then we have to make sure she never sees the first one.""
